Democratic Republic of Beer, Miami

Concierge.com's insider take:

Just what downtown Miami's nightlife scene needed—that's the universal refrain about the Democratic Republic of Beer, which opened to the hops-happy public in October 2009. The owners (two friends who met on Miami's hospitality scene) shared a common love for exotic beers that couldn't be quenched—so they built their own temple to the cause and stocked it with more than 400 types of beer. The perpetually updated menu includes everything from Bulgarian, Haitian, and Polish brews to Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, which costs about 20 times as much as the $2.50 Pabst Blue Ribbon. And in true egalitarian spirit, you can vote online for the house favorite, which is the only beer they keep on tap. The food offerings, such as bangers and mash, chicken tikka masala, and tilapia en papillote, are as worldly as the brews. The DRB's unlikely location, in a cinder-block building across the street from the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, adds color to the clientele: At night, the crowd morphs from pretheater patrons to tattooed and pierced sound crews; journalists wander over from the nearby Miami Herald building, and artsy types come hither from the nearby Design District. In addition to the granite bar, banquette couches, and small tables that line the narrow interior, a couch and a few tables are usually pulled onto the sidewalk, adding a retro-chic yard sale vibe to the fun, casual atmosphere.—Terry Ward